The Grammy Awards have included plenty of sincere and big tributes to Kobe Bryant on the day of the NBA star’s death, but there were many more subtle ones too.
Billy Ray Cyrus’ guitar had “#24,” Bryant’s number, on his guitar and Lil Nas X had a Bryant jersey draped over a chair at the beginning of their performance of “Old Town Road” during the Grammys on Sunday at Staples Center in Los Angeles, the arena where Bryant played most of his career.
Run-DMC member Joseph “Run” Simmons” held up a white Bryant Jersey during their performance of “Walk This Way” with Aerosmith.
And Lizzo, who dedicated the show to Bryant when she opened it with a performance, accepted the Grammy for best pop solo performance without invoking his name. She simply said that today she realized that after being lost in her own problems all week, she realized that “in an instant all of that can go away."
Throughout the evening, the Los Angeles Lakers jerseys belonging to Bryant were illuminated as they hung inside the Staples Center.
A tribute to the late Nipsey Hussle also included tribute to Bryant. The tribute performance ended with DJ Khaled shouting out the names of Hussle along with those of Kobe Bryant and Bryant’s daughter Gianna.
Alicia Keys and Boyz II Men had everyone in tears right at the start of the Grammys with their tribute to Kobe Bryant.
The 41-year-old Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter and seven others were killed in a helicopter crash just outside of Los Angeles earlier Sunday.